Permies Poll: What percentage of your yearly home health needs are met by medicinal herbs?

I thought this might be an interesting question to ask.

You can buy pain relievers, supplements, and other things in stores. Many people use only these things outside of a professional healthcare system. We have people on Permies who grow and utilize medicinal herbs. I want to know, when encountering illness, how many people tend to utilize these herbs over something that comes in a plastic bottle. Every situation is unique, and we are just talking in generalizations here. So in a given year, what percent of your home health needs come from medicinal herbs?

Currently, I do not utilize medicinal herbs because I do not know enough about them. I am hoping to change this in the future. I really need to find a trusted resource to be able to feel confident referring before I start utilizing.

Baby steps!

I trust Dr Sharol Tilgnor. She has spent time with us here on Permies several times. Buy Herbal ABC's The Foundation of Herbal Medicine. Then you'll need this one.

We use Excedrin and Tylenol for pain. Benedryl for alergies. We turn to herbal medicines first for everything else.

I don't use OTCs.  I have a bottle of Aleve on my desk that I might use very rarely.  I looked and it expired 9/16.

I use a lemon balm tincture that I made just before my plant died for lack of water because I had a gout attack and could not walk back there to water it.  I refresh the tincture after every use.

I use rosemary as a mouthwash by making a tea.

The only supplement I take was recommended in January by my ophthalmologist. It has marigold with C, E, Lutein.

I voted though that was just a guess.

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:I trust Dr Sharol Tilgnor. She has spent time with us here on Permies several times. Buy Herbal ABC's The Foundation of Herbal Medicine. Then you'll need this one.

Thank you so much! That is incredibly helpful as I find trying to pick a herbalist related book to start with kind of daunting? A self inflicted brick wall so to speak. I appreciate your recommendations so I will be reading them!

Between John and I, we have a LOT of "bad alphabet soup" (you know - all those issues that each comes with it's own initials). I treat about 95% of mine with herbs that I grow or order in bulk. The 4 of the other 5% are supplements I just can't find any other way, besides in a bottle, and that last 1% is otc allergy help, because all the herbs I've tried, over the last 2 decades, still don't take care of that part of my 'soup', without a little help.

John's is closer to 75%, because he still feels more heavily than I'm happy about, on digestive aids, in addition to the allergy stuff and the aspirin his former cardiologist insisted he take, daily (even though I've been treating his heart, bp, & lungs herbalist, for about 5yrs).

Bailey(Irish Wolfhound) it's probably the lowest herbal care% on our property, because wears a flea collar & gets all her vaxes, only getting herbal stuff for the occasional booboo, digestive, or calming remedy (John is in charge of her health care). Charlie (Cavalier) is treated 99.999% herbally, and only gets the rabies vax that is required by law, eats a 100% homemade, raw species appropriate diet, with a couple herbal supplements, for a couple of minor genetic issues (she is 100% under my care).

The goats & sheep are at about 75%, because by law, if we sell them, there are things they must have. The chickens & ducks are at 100% -mostly free-range, supplemented as needed with non-gmo feed,  and booboos & other issues are treated herbally.

I make all our salves, ointments, powders, tinctures, linements, inhalants, herbal teas, muscle rubs/massage oils, tonics, etc, and about 85% of our household cleaners.

None, right now, mostly because I don't know what to use for what ailment. For example....today I was looking at making balm of gilead from cottonwood buds. But then I see it can be used for all sorts of ailments-an anagesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, etc etc. Thats all fine, but, like, how do I know when to reach for ther balm of gilead instead of some other herb? How does one come to understand which herb is best for which ailment? I understand that many herbs have many different properties, but how does one know which is best in any given situation?

Yeah, that’s a tough one!  Who knows what they’re talking about, because everyone will TELL you they do, and some folks will recommend a book because their friend wrote it, not for any other reason.

Here are some of my picks:  Rosemary Gladstar is well respected, as is Michael Moore who wrote several herbal medicine books about native plants in Western North America.  Richo Cech wrote making plant medicine.  It’s available through Strictly Medicinal seeds, his website, which is a great resource for information as well as plants.

John B Lust wrote The Herb Book.  It’s another classic, published in 1974.

I think when it comes to herbal medicine references, a good rule of thumb for beginners is that you can rely on people who have been around for awhile, because their work will have stood the test of time, and come under the scrutiny of the herbalist community.

An online resource I trust is Mountain Rose Herbs.  They sell herbs, as well as have information available about what herbs are useful in what situations.

Another rule of thumb when evaluating the reliability of a resource is whether they include specific contraindications.

A great place to start in utilizing herbs is with the tonic herbs.  Things like ashwaghanda (lots of hype around that one currently), and hawthorne.

One thing different about herbal medicine is that many people don’t wait until they’re sick, and want to make the symptoms go away (allopathic approach), instead they use herbs
for health maintenance or prevention purposes.  Ginkgo improves circulation, especially in the brain.  Why not keep the circulation going instead of waiting for a problem to develop?

The poll is fun, and I am in the 75-99% group.  I use pharmaceutical eye drops for glaucoma.  I have a morning drink instead of coffee or tea, though it contains both in addition to roasted chicory, chaga, reishi, ginkgo, ashwaghanda, ginger, marshmallow root, sometimes cocoa powder and many others.  When I was struggling with plantar fasciitis I put gotu kola in, and nettles.

Other than the eye drops I can’t even remember when I last had a prescription drug.

Learningherbs.com is a great place to start. Sharol Tilgnor, Rosemary Gladstar, Rosalee De laForet, Jim Mc Donald, 7Song, and a list of others are all folks I've learned a great deal from, via book and their online classes, websites, etc . Most also hold or take part in in-person events and classes, as well. It's all too easy to get overwhelmed, and there are many charlatans.

I eat food for it's medicinal properties, therefore, I put myself in the 99% category.

I haven't taken any prescription medications since about 30 years ago. Occasionally, I eat an over-the-counter cold remedy when traveling far from home.

I'd never heard of rosemary mouthwash, so you got me researching. Now I'm gonna have to add that to my sand badge for Natural Medicine.

j

Anne Miller wrote:I don't use OTCs.  I have a bottle of Aleve on my desk that I might use very rarely.  I looked and it expired 9/16.

I use a lemon balm tincture that I made just before my plant died for lack of water because I had a gout attack and could not walk back there to water it.  I refresh the tincture after every use.

I use rosemary as a mouthwash by making a tea.

The only supplement I take was recommended in January by my ophthalmologist. It has marigold with C, E, Lutein.

I voted though that was just a guess.

Most years it's 100% for me. That is because in general I don't use any pharmaceuticals, there's no need for it. I use medicinal herbs, grown or foraged myself, mostly to prevent any health problems.

I did not vote '100%' because it can happen (once in several years) I use something prescribed by a doctor (incl. dentist) that is not natural ...

Timothy Norton wrote:Currently, I do not utilize medicinal herbs because I do not know enough about them. I am hoping to change this in the future. I really need to find a trusted resource to be able to feel confident referring before I start utilizing.

Baby steps!

If you aren't confident about your knowledge on herbs, my advice is to take a course. I mean the kind of course where someone who has the knowledge goes on walks with a group to show the herbs and tells about how to recognise them, and then you pick the herbs and process them together, in several ways (dried, infusions, tinctures, oils, salves).
Books and online information is nice, but the real-life experience is the most important.

Here’s an annual herbal medicine gathering.  I know one of the herbalists presenting there.  I was getting a massage from her, and she mentioned it with great excitement.  It might be just the thing for getting started or strengthening skills, spending several days making connections and having a Colorado summer adventure.

https://www.goodmedicineconfluence.com/

July 10-13 in Durango Colorado

And probably there are bunches of similar herb schools in various parts of the country.

Anne Miller wrote:I don't use OTCs.  I have a bottle of Aleve on my desk that I might use very rarely.  I looked and it expired 9/16.

I use a lemon balm tincture that I made just before my plant died for lack of water because I had a gout attack and could not walk back there to water it.  I refresh the tincture after every use.

I use rosemary as a mouthwash by making a tea.

The only supplement I take was recommended in January by my ophthalmologist. It has marigold with C, E, Lutein.

I voted though that was just a guess.

Cherries help gout

Sher Miller wrote:Cherries help gout

Paul has often said that the emergency room doctors suggests that.

Doesn't help me ...

Anne Miller wrote:

Sher Miller wrote:Cherries help gout

Paul has often said that the emergency room doctors suggests that.

Doesn't help me ...

Sorry to hear that. I saw it in a medical journal in the 70s. It works for me. (Avoiding oxylates is helpful, usually the trigger). It can be horrible. I wish you well!

I find it really hard to put a number on!
We do a lot of food-based and non-medicine treatments to avoid using medications whenever possible, but we also will take whatever is required when it's necessary: we both have had a rough few years recently with fractures, appendixes, dislocations, and surgeries and I'm not trying to prove anything.

That said, for routine stuff, we have headaches, migraines, stomach/digestive stuff, arthritis, and muscle pain mostly under control through herbal/food/movement approaches. Through exercise, physical therapy, and diet we are avoiding diabetes, BP, and high cholesterol meds for my husband and a pretty intense arthritis medication regime for me. We could conceivably be taking a LOT more medications than we actually do (and most of the time we take nothing and people are surprised at that "for our age").
The big meds in my house are taken by my dog, on the other hand: we're treating for severe arthritis pain and I can't really brew up anything with 100% guaranteed pain-killing effects for my old dog (i can't do anything herbal that gets me there, unfortunately, and close isn't good enough in his case).

I own many, many herbals, but the one that got me interested in the first place and also years later got my daughter into herbal/nutrition approaches to care is the Green Pharmacy by James Duke. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245977.The_Green_Pharmacy It is very approachable for a first herbal and also very informative while still being fun to read.

I stopped in at a local herb shop run by a friend of mine today.

We’re very lucky to have an herb shop and herbalist on Main Street!

I asked her about summer herbal study conferences and venues she recommends…., she said “ it depends what you’re interested in!  And named a few disciplines….”

So, if people want to study herbs, there are LOTS of opportunities.  We just have to find them.

I would say 50%, even though I have a huge herb garden and herb cabinet full of homemade stuff. The industrial revolution blessed us with a collection of interesting metals and organic compounds that were previously not encountered or nonexistent, and I've found it impossible to address the roots of many health issues without esoteric supplements and homeopathy. As I improve my skill in homeopathy, I'm hoping to make my own remedies, but I don't have confidence in that yet. Chronic issues aside, I'm very greatful to my teachers and all the preservers of medicinal herb knowledge every time I have a first aid issue or a minor illness.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Here’s an annual herbal medicine gathering.  I know one of the herbalists presenting there.  I was getting a massage from her, and she mentioned it with great excitement.  It might be just the thing for getting started or strengthening skills, spending several days making connections and having a Colorado summer adventure.

https://www.goodmedicineconfluence.com/

July 10-13 in Durango Colorado

And probably there are bunches of similar herb schools in various parts of the country.

Unfortunately, this time overlaps the Wheaton Permaculture technology Jamboree

Which if somehow you haven’t heard about it yet:
https://wheaton-labs.com/permaculture-tech/#tve-jump-18790128bfe  Which is July 1- 12

This is kind of hard to answer. I carry medicine for severe allergies, and think that pranayama (not an herb, an element of yoga) may have good applications for anaphylaxis, but testing it under those conditions would be very risky. It seems a good thing to try when the orchard grass blooms, though.

But I am taking some kind of herbal medicine all the time, making herbal teas at least once a day out of whatever I feel like. It’s instinctual, so there is no need for symptoms to even be consciously acknowledged, so perhaps there could be more problems but aren’t due to this habit.

Some of them it’s hard to say. I could use yarrow, or just lose more blood. And lady’s mantle helps a lot with congestion, which isn’t listed anywhere as a use but I began using them instinctually (you haven’t tried that, have you Carla?) and also field mint for me, but before I discovered them I just went through the orchard grass bloom miserable.

For those who are not sure which plant to use, I’m no professional or learned one, but maybe it’s best to look around and try to connect with (non-dangerous) plants that instinctually jump out to you, if you can feel comfortable doing. It has been generally helpful to me for choosing the right herb, even when that use is never listed (but if it is, then yay!) and hopefully may cause less fretting and contribute in that way to better health. Sometimes books will give suggestions that don’t really work (yarrow for colds was rather disappointing) so your own body, is the real judge.

Maieshe Ljin wrote:. And lady’s mantle helps a lot with congestion, which isn’t listed anywhere as a use but I began using them instinctually (you haven’t tried that, have you Carla?) and also field mint for me, but before I discovered them I just went through the orchard grass bloom miserable.

I haven't. When I first heard of it, years ago, I couldn't source it. Then, over time, I forgot about it. Thank you for the reminder!

Hopefully it helps!

To clarify for my last post, it’s not pranayama that I haven’t used in a long time but the anaphylaxis medication.

It’s interesting how I came to grow the lady’s mantle. First I saw them growing in an ornamental/medicine garden and began gazing with fascination at them. Then I found potted plants sold at a farmstand and bought one to take home, and after a little while the thought occurred with no previous knowledge, “This might help with allergies.” And so I tried it, and it helped. And I still can’t find any other people or traditions using them that way. There is so much potential for our instinct to discover new uses for plants.

I voted as 1-25%, but really it’s hard to quantify b/c my family do not use much medicine in general. None of us have any prescriptions.

Our medicine cabinet is pretty bare. I make witch hazel solution that I use for most any skin issue that come up, and now and then take feverfew for headaches. But most of us do reach for NSAIDs to deal with occasional pain or fever. We keep up to date on vaccinations.

Best teacher out there!  https://www.youtube.com/@HomeGrownHerbalist  He started as an herbal veterinarian (no placebo effect there!), then added naturopathy (for humans), and then started teaching what he has learned.  AMAZING course!  I get nothing for this recommendation, just happy to help others.

I’m in the 50-75 category. I do a fair amount of herbal and food support and treatment, but I also have Type 1 diabetes and there’s no herbal substitute for the insulin that my body hasn’t produced for 30 years. Grateful to have both natural and allopathic options available.

We ourselves use medicinal herbs for nearly everything (I do take Magnesium and Vitamin D) but also our garden is sustainable in large part due to encouraging and showing others how to care for themselves.   My daughter in law have spent a lot of time learning and honing our craft.   We mostly peddle herbs and such at farmer's markets.
A few notable herbal 'wins': After I broke my elbow,  California poppy was all I took for pain.   My son's gross alligator feet turned soft and smooth in 3 days with Calendula salve.  Our first and still my most used herbal blend is for allergies...I pretty much don't leave home without it and I have taken nothing else in over 10 years after having taken some form of OTC allergy med every day,  year round.  Quickest turn around of shingles ever with protocol from Steven Harrod Buhner's book.  

Almost everything. I don't know much but I know enough to grab a tea that specializes in whatever my ailment is (ie; mullein for a cold) and it works. So I'm learning as I go. As a diabetic with high blood pressure and all sorts of other ailments who got tired of doctors never knowing and even lying on my records I knew I needed to get proactive and get off the pills. I couldn't be happier! Was being hospitalized about once a year to year and a half. Since I quit going to the doctor's I've not been in the hospital and my infection that I kept getting cleared up. People are so brainwashed into believing they need big pharma that they've forsaken all the good nutrients that grows free in their yards, local parks, and so forth!

98% medicinal herbs and food/nutrition. 2% = once in a rare while I will take something along the lines of Tylenol.

This has been the case since I was a teenager and started getting into herbal medicine and food as medicine. I am 62 now and, so grateful,  apparently all is well <3

I'm amazed how few of us are doing 100% herbal medicine. Know I am, as well as my mother who's approaching 70 years old now. A few herbs I can't or haven't grown here (yet), but most of my medicine comes right from my own gardens, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Most medicinal herbs are great for companion planting with your food producing annuals and perennials, too, so it's worth taking the time to figure out what works for you, then figuring out where it fits into your planting schemes.

Actually kinda disappointed to see such a low 100% count on that poll. Maybe it's just that a lot of us haven't seen the poll yet - know I have quite a buildup of dailyish emails in my inbox that I'll never get through. This time of year is just too busy

Anne Miller wrote:...  I refresh the tincture after every use.

What do you mean by this?  I make and use tinctures, but have never heard of "refreshing" them between uses.

I'd say at least 50%, but it's an unfair assessment because herbs take care of the small frequent stuff, and conventional drugs will complement when things get more serious.

I use herbs/food for :
- Most skin issues (eczema, scrapes and minor burns, insect bites)
- Most respiratory ailments (colds)
- Basic mental health support (a minor bout of insomnia, herbal tea for anxiety)
- First aid for headaches
- Constipation or digestive issues (e.g. probiotics from fermented food, fiber from inulin or psyllium-rich foods)

I still rely on conventional medicine for:
- Pain management that does not respond to first aid, and affects functioning (e.g. debilitating migraines, if prevention failed)
- Serious infections that are not clearing up on their own
- Serious allergic reactions
- Mental health problems that do not respond to therapy and self-care

In general, herbal is the prevention course and, if prevention fails, the first aid. Then we evaluate and decide if something else is needed.

I'm not sure exacty how to evaluate the fermented food that probably (but I can't be 100% sure) kept me from getting my husband's stomach bug, or the herbal tea I take at the first hint of an UTI (an approach that has had 100% success so far).

Last vote in apple poll was on October 6, 2024